Katie Britt vows to work with RFK Jr. after NIH funding cuts cause concern in Alabama

[mahatmakanejeeves]

NEWS
Katie Britt vows to work with RFK Jr. after NIH funding cuts cause concern in Alabama

Published: Feb. 08, 2025, 6:55 p.m.

{snip picture}

A Review of Disaster Funding Needs
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., speaks during the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing titled "A Review of Disaster Funding Needs," in Dirksen building, on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag
By Scott Turner | [e-mail]

Alabama’s junior U.S. senator said she will work with President Donald Trump’s health secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to “ensure our nation remains at the forefront” of innovation, research and care after funding cuts announced Friday night by the National Institutes of Health.

“Every cent of hard-earned taxpayer money should be spent efficiently, judiciously, and accountably — without exception,” U.S. Sen. Katie Britt said on Saturday.

“While the administration works to achieve this goal at NIH, a smart, targeted approach is needed in order to not hinder life-saving, groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions like those in Alabama,” Britt told AL.com.

On Friday night, the NIH announced it was cutting payments toward overhead costs for research institutions that receive its grants, a policy that could leave universities with major budget gaps, The Associated Press reported.

(snip}

[Oneear]

1. Senator Katie Britt, R-Alabama

Will you support removing all Lead Water Pipes in the Ground in America? Needs to be Healthy Again by removing Galvanized Pipes Dipped in Zinc EPA.org lead

[douglas9]

2. 'Bama Senator Howls Like Stuck Pig After She Sees NIH Cuts' Impact in State

Yesterday I made the point that while research universities and academic medical centers may be coded blue in many ways, they’re far from limited to blue states. Indeed, overall they tend to be more crucial to regional economies in red states and districts than in blue ones. And sure enough, Alabama’s junior senator Katie Britt (R), who inherited the seat from one-time boss Dick Shelby, has chimed in to support my argument. She ran to the local paper to promise to she’s going to work super hard with RFK Jr. to make sure her state doesn’t lose all its funding. “While the administration works to achieve this goal at NIH, a smart, targeted approach is needed in order to not hinder life-saving, groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions like those in Alabama,” she told AL.com

A few facts. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is the largest employer in the state. It has received more than a billion dollars in NIH funding in recent years. The head of the Birmingham Business Alliance is quoted saying the whole thing is super bad. Birmingham’s Mayor Randall Woodfin (D) also seems to be freaking out. Britt wouldn’t stop talking: “We can eliminate administrative bloat and waste while not losing our competitive edge to adversaries like Communist China. I look forward to working with incoming HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to accomplish this vital mission and ensure our nation remains at the forefront of medical innovation, research, and patient care.”

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/bama-senator-howls-like-stuck-pig-after-she-sees-nih-cuts-impact-in-state